


Just breathe

by SmileDesu



Series: V2 [30]
Category: Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Anxiety, Fix-It, M/M, missing link - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 18:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13013274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileDesu/pseuds/SmileDesu
Summary: "You are, and always will be Avengers," said Captain America himself. Why was it, then, that two of the Young Avengers' founding members still hung up their capes?





	Just breathe

"You are, and always will be... Avengers."  
The words spoken by Captain America himself were all any Young Avenger could have ever hoped to hear. It may have come at the worst time; it may have come at the best time. Regardless, it came, and made the four remaining teammates think, just for a moment, that it wasn't all for naught, that it wasn't all one huge mistake.  
  
That was then.  
  
This is now.  
  
"Wiccan?!"  
  
They agreed to go on patrol. Nothing big, just put on their uniforms and go for a round.  
  
"Wiccan, answer me!"  
  
He wasn't alone, he had the one person he trusted most in the world right there with him. There weren't even three of _them_. And yet...  
  
"Where are you?!"  
  
In an alleyway, behind a dumpster. Curled up, shivering, afraid, and on the verge of hyperventilation. He heard the calls - Teddy sounded so worried, and why wouldn't he be? They weren't even halfway through putting those thugs in their place when Billy couldn't take it anymore. He took off, disappeared, leaving Teddy to clean up on his own, then go look for him. It was a jerk move, and a stupid one at that, he knew, but he couldn't bring himself to stay there another second.  
He heard Teddy's voice getting distant, farther away, and he knew he had to do something. His knees were still weak and concentration was hard to come by, so he did what came easy and reached for his phone.  
_Getting colder_ he sent, and immediately regretted his choice of words. Before he could fully loathe himself for that his phone began vibrating, Teddy's name and picture showing up on the screen. Billy stared at the device before swiping the call away - he couldn't bring himself to speak. No sooner was the call properly rejected did a text message come, again from Teddy.  
  
_r u ok?!_  
  
A distant smile rose to Billy's face, a tired one at that.  
  
_No_  
  
He could've sworn he heard the skidding of soles as Teddy turned back, heading down a 'hotter' direction. Not sure how else to convey his location, Billy poked at the air, and a small spark lit and faded at the entrance to the alley. He kept at it for a bit, a display of his powers that required very little attention, like poking a piece of paper with a pen without actually drawing anything meaningful. And it worked, because a shadow crept into the alley. For a moment Billy tensed, unsure whom he called over, until--  
  
"Bee?"  
  
Billy's breath hitched. He reached out, hoping Teddy would see his hand - and he did, because he walked in, heavy boots stepping over exposed cement and through puddles.  
  
"There you are," was uttered somewhere above him, yet Billy didn't look up until he saw the light catch off the zipper hanging off Teddy's collar, and the yellow standing against the black finally came into view. It let him see the rest of the incriminating details, cuts, holes, all indications of the damage Teddy sustained in his absence.  
  
"Oh God, Ted--"  
  
"I'm _fine_ ," Teddy insisted even when Billy ran his hands over the tears in the fabric, which Teddy hurried to shift away. "See? Good as new, healed _and_ presentable."  
  
"Like you'd actually tell me otherwise," Billy muttered. Teddy actually rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything to counter that--  
  
"Hurts either way, right? I'm sorry."  
  
"What for, Bee?"  
  
_Didn't I just say?_ Billy wanted to say, but knew that wasn't even a half truth. The answer was so much more than that. He was the one who suggested they did this, went out like nothing ever happened. The one who thought he could do this, like it would be so easy, like getting back on a bike with a scraped knee. But it wasn't quite like that, because the 'scraped knee' was them losing Cassie, and in the heat of the moment, he froze, panicked, ran and left Teddy behind to fight and bleed and--  
  
"Hey-- _hey_!" Teddy called out when Billy began breathing heavily and rapidly again. He cupped Billy's chin and made him look up, staring at him with a steady gaze. "Look at me. Listen. I'm fine, ok? _We_ 're fine, we're _safe_ , they're _gone_ , so just... just _breathe_ , ok?"  
It almost sounded like he was pleading, which he was, in fact, but it worked just the same. Billy nodded weakly, forcing himself to take slower, deeper breaths, going as far as to pull his cape up over his face, covering all but his eyes which were kept shut tightly. Teddy said nothing, silently patting Billy's hair in long, slow motions. "It's ok, it's over. We're safe," he repeated until Billy finally calmed down, though he didn't lower the red fabric.  
  
"This... was a bad idea," he concluded, sounding miserable and accusing - of himself most of all, Teddy knew and shook his head.  
  
"It was a good idea, just bad timing," he tried to reassure softly to no avail as Billy continued arguing.  
  
"You wanted this--"  
  
"Oh _fuck that_ \--"  
  
" _I_ wanted this."  
  
There was nothing Teddy could say to that, so he simply stared at his hand, now gripped tightly by Billy.  
"We'll do this again, just not right now. It's ok."  
  
"No, it's not," Billy complained, but didn't hold back anymore, finally leaning forward and half dropping into Teddy's arms which wrapped around him in a blanket of warmth and security.  
  
"We won, though. You know that, right?" Teddy tried again while nuzzling into his partner's hair. "The bad guys are down. The cops are on their way, and neither of us are hurt. That's a solid, undeniable win."  
  
"For anyone who actually fought--"  
  
"Hey, your opener was impressive, took like two of them down before--"  
  
"Before I ran."  
  
"Ok, yeah, well, we've already established this was too soon," Teddy reminded him, managing to keep the berating tone to a minimum. Billy seemed like he wanted to say something again,but even he knew they'd be going in circles. As it was, he let himself go limp, and let Teddy comfort him.  
  
"We'll get this down again someday, promise. But how about we go home for now?"  
Teddy's offer felt like admitting defeat, and that made the pressure in Billy's chest feel like it grew spikes. Knowing better than to indulge that, however, he inhaled deeply and tried to let it out as much as he could when he exhaled. They won, that's what mattered. He didn't have to get this down right off the bat - but at least, he knew, and as Teddy liked to remind him - this was a start.  
  
"Let's."  



End file.
